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by Rayfes Mondal
Q:
Have you ever wondered how
people become knowledgeable about car audio systems?
A: I got lucky since I used to live
with a professional installer so I learned from him. Unfortunately not
everyone else has had access to someone like that so I created these pages to
help you, the car audio novice, get involved and learn about car audio
systems. I hope you find the information here useful.
Head
Units: This is where it all begins. Whatever the rest
of your system includes, the sound starts here. Choosing the proper head unit is
important. If you use a poor one no matter how good your equipment down the line
is you will be stuck with low quality sound. Also, read my explanation of power
amplifier specs if you think your head unit is producing over 100 watts of
power.
Amplifiers: These make the head unit's signal more powerful in order to drive the
speakers. Skimp here
and you will not take take advantage of your speaker's power handling capability
nor get adequate volume and clarity. As mentioned above I have written an explanation of power
amplifier specs.
Speakers:
These are the final link and arguably the most important component in
the quality of sound you actually hear. Skimp here and even the best head units
and amplifiers will sound bad.
Equalizers/Crossovers: Equalizers can help balance your sound when used properly and
crossovers help divide up the full range of sound frequencies so that you can
use special speakers
for each range. This is an improvement because no single speaker can
accurately produce the full range of sound humans can hear.
Accessories: These range from important details to just making installations "look
good."
Planning: Now that you have some background on the world of car audio it is time
to plan your system. I'll give you some pointers and an example system.
Tech Articles: As mentioned above I
have written an article
explaining power amplifier specs. I have also written an article primarily explaining
ohms but it also has information on parallel / series wiring configurations,
bridging amps, and dual voice coil speakers. Finally there's an
article on how to match amplifiers and speakers and
understanding the power ratings. I have a BS in electrical engineering
and I tried to make these articles easy for everyone to understand.
I have installed a modest system (not competition level) in my
Trans Am. Check out what is in my car here.
Head Units | Amplifiers | Speakers | Equalizers/Crossovers | Accessories | Planning
Tech Articles: Power Amp Specs | Ohms | Power Ratings | My System
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